EXCLUSIVE: MARANTZ ANNOUNCES SA-KI RUBY SACD PLAYER

9th May, 2018

Few releases at this year’s High End Show in Munich will resonate with audiophiles as much as the Marantz SA-KI Ruby.

We’ve heard whispers about this very special, very collectible SACD player for about a month. But we were sworn to secrecy until the advent of the Munich show.

Mute no longer, StereoNET can share with its readers that the new SA-KI Ruby was designed to celebrate Ken Ishiwata’s 40th anniversary at Marantz.

Ken is much more than a roving ambassador. He has a hand in the design of crucial new models. Read more about Ken's role at Marantz in our interview with him recently.

Word is that like the fabulous SA-14S1 Special Edition we reviewed here, Ken was heavily involved in the development of the SA-KI Ruby.

When it’s released the new SACD player will be available in gold or black.

But here’s the thing: on the front edge of the top plate, each player carries Ken Ishiwata’s signature tailing off to an embedded ruby. Lovely, lovely touch.

Huge fans of Ken Ishiwata, I've put up my hand to buy and collect a SA-KI Ruby, the moment one is available. A review will soon follow.

StereoNET managed to snare plenty of technical details about the SA-KI Ruby.

We can tell you Marantz sees the SA-KI Ruby as the natural follow up to the SA-10 a model that was higher up Marantz’s chain of models.

Please note, this price isn’t locked in yet, but Qualifi, Marantz’s Aussie distributor expects pricing to be around $7,000 which will please most aspiring buyers when it arrives around October 2018.

Marantz's line-up will have the existing SA-14S1 SE and SA-10 as their top SACD players with the SA-KI Ruby slotting neatly in-between.

Internally the SA-KI Ruby will carry a unique Marantz DAC with MMM stream and MMM conversion.

The SACD/CD drive is also unique. A quality mechanism developed entirely by Marantz because the brand could not source a drive of the quality required for its top end SACD players.

The SA-KI Ruby will also feature a full, discrete current feedback amplifier with w/HDAM-SA technology.

Parts used inside the SA-KI Ruby are top calibre. They include low noise complimentary transistors, high precision MELF resistors, high-grade film capacitors, low ESR polymer capacitors and get this: unique, Marantz custom designed electrolytic and block capacitors.

Marantz engineers also paid plenty of attention in finding ways to isolate the analogue circuits from the noise-prone digital circuits.

Marantz was always going to make the celebration of Ken Ishiwata’s 40th anniversary a memorable one. We can’t think of a better one than a high-end SACD player in the class of the SA-KI Ruby.

From StereoNET and its readers: a very happy anniversary to you, Ken Ishiwata.

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Written by:

One of the veterans of the Australian HiFi industry, Peter was formerly the Audio-Video Editor of the Herald Sun for over two decades. One of the most-respected audio journalists in Australia, Peter brings his unparalleled experience and a unique story-telling ability to StereoNET.

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